Aircraft utilize a variety of systems to adjust how air flows over a wing. For example, an aircraft may change the position of one or more flaps on the wing in order to adjust flight dynamics. The flaps themselves may be driven along tracks that are mounted to the wing. Many tracks utilize bearings at joints that connect the track to the wing. The bearings ensure that the tracks do not unduly apply torque or other stresses to the wing, even if there is a misalignment in the tracks. However, the bearings for tracks of aircraft wings operate under substantial load, and are also subject to high vibration. Because of these load characteristics, it is not uncommon for a bearing to rotate or even migrate within its housing over time. Thus, after a period of use, the bearing may be in need of replacement.
Existing solutions to hold a bearing in place utilize retainer nuts that are threaded onto a race of the bearing to hold the bearing within its housing. However, threaded retainer nuts themselves are subject to loosening over time. To address this issue, nylon pellets (or other friction devices) may be used within the threading for a retainer nut to hold the retainer nut in place. However, the nylon pellets themselves are subject to wear due to the high levels of vibration in aircraft. This means that the nylon pellets degrade over time, which in turn means that the retainer nut loosens and the bearing migrates as flight hours accumulate on the aircraft. The maintenance and replacement of the bearings therefore undesirably increases the expense of maintaining the aircraft, particularly because many days of labor may be required to access the bearings of the tracks.
For at least these reasons, users of bearings continue to desire mechanical systems that effectively retain a bearing within its housing, even after sustained periods of use at high load or vibration.